While anchored here, a boat which was astern of the Eleanor was stolen, and a seaman who was in it was killed.

The natives, generally, disclaimed the outrage, and brought the shattered remains of the boat and the dead body of the seaman to the ship.
Supposing that they had thus appeased the anger of the captain, they thronged, as usual, in great numbers about the vessel, to trade.

Captain Metcalf, however, determined on a bloody revenge.

The Eleanor mounted ten guns.

All these he ordered to be loaded with musket-balls, nails, and pieces of old iron, and then fired them, and the small arms of the ship, among the natives.